วีดีโอ

Thanks for the thoughtful comment. Wow, that’s a lot of hard work. You've certainly got your work cut out for you. You bring up a couple of really good points as well: One, everyone’s situation is different. The soil you see in the video had already been improved a bit, but most people around here think they have a tough time with our clay. Yours is obviously much worse, and I’ve heard from others in other places that are similarly difficult. It’s a great point and why no one can prescribe exactly what will work for another person’s situation. At best, online tutorials like this are just a place to start to find the mix of methods that work best for each person in their unique place. Two, you mention how the work you put into loosening your soil deeply pays off with easy planting and weeding, better water-holding capacity, deeper roots, and, most importantly, bigger, healthier plants. It’s such a great point. The work upfront really pays off. That’s exactly what we’ve found from the first year we ever did this 30 years ago through today, and it’s why I made the video. I have other videos on other methods, but this is the one for people like you (even if it doesn’t fit perfectly for your situation) who are willing to do the work and get the wonderful rewards of bigger, healthier plants. I also like your plan and attitude: do it in stages and treat it like exercise. (It is.) Smart. You also might like my video that addresses if double-digging is worth it. Sounds like it’s right up your alley. th-cam.com/video/F7a9_sPNYJY/w-d-xo.html

Wow, that's a lot of area to garden! Well said. As you can tell from the video, I completely agree. Thank you. I celebrate your pragmatism in return. I'm glad you've found your compromises without compromising your results and that you've had such great success with it!

@@francus7227 Good question. The short answer is that 12” of overall loosened growing space amended with compost yields noticeably less production for peppers, tomatoes, and the larger brassicas. However, that doesn’t mean the method you suggest doesn’t work. It works plenty fine, if with a dip in production that you might not notice unless you used both methods next to each other in the same year for the same plants. I would add that gardening is far from being a one-size-fits-all proposition. It’s different for each plant. We don’t plant prepare areas for carrots the way we prepare them for asparagus, corn, or squash. And a 90 year-old who’s just trying to continue to garden might not want to use the same method as a 25 year old wanting to maximize production. We’re all different with different goals and desires, and that’s part of the beauty. As such, it’s important to note that this video is in no way advocating this method for all plants, all people, or all places. This is just one of several methods I teach in my videos, and I would not advocate for one over the other, only that gardeners choose the methods that best meet their levels of interest, ability, and expectations for production for their specific plants.

@greenthumbgardeningsecrets75 Holly cow. What pleasantly detailed and perfectly constructed reply. I'm 60 trying reach 90. Maybe I should dig 12", it might help me get to 90. I went back to the clip and tapped the thumbs up button to feed the algorithm monsters. Thank you.

@@francus7227 You are so absolutely welcome! And thank you for feeding the algorithm monsters! 🤗😜😃

Hahaha. That should help a lot -no sore back for you!! That's great! It will really help your productivity in your clay, especially for tomatoes, peppers, and the larger brassicas. I don't know that I'd personally do it for anything else. Good luck and let me know how it goes for you.

You are very welcome! It's heartwarming to hear planting in hills has been rewarding for you too. It's beautiful!! And it's still wonderfully productive. You are very, very welcome for the explanation of timing! I'm glad it helps! Happy gardening!!!

You are so welcome! Thank you for saying that! It's so good to hear from people who enjoy it all making sense!! 🙂

Sorry for the delayed reply. We're still recovering locally from Hurricane Helene. Thank you very, very much!! I really appreciate that!!

Sorry for the delayed reply. We're still recovering locally from Hurricane Helene. That is some hard soil! I would remove some of it (with a pickaxe or whatever you can use to make some headway...jackhammer :| ) and have it tested (check on my website for some ideas--there are often free options nearby) to see if it has any nutrient value worth saving and improving. If it does, I'd remove part of it (using any means possible: pickaxe, jackhammer, track hoe, etc.--whatever works best for you and you can get ahold of and afford) and add a good amount of cured compost (and maybe even some soil depending on how much you remove--figure no more than 6" of cured compost and no less than 2", the rest soil) to amend it and make up for what you removed. If it doesn't have any nutrient quality to make it worth saving, I'd remove all of it 2' deep (or as deep as possible), loosen up whatever's left below the 2' deep level, and add back soil and 2-6" of cured compost to take it up to the level/height of soil/compost you want in there. Does that wall shade that area too much? If so, it might not be worth the expense of getting that area prepared, depending on what you're planting. Check out my website and videos for more info on how to see if it gets enough sun for different vegetable garden plants. Good luck! And let me know how it goes!

Thank you!

Thank you!! Been trying and wish I did. Thanks!

U will get there!! ​@@greenthumbgardeningsecrets75

@@LKRaider Thank you!

Thank you! ❤

That's interesting. An angled cut would allow water to run off, helping avoid rot-a common practice with wood posts, etc.-but I've never had an issue with a flatter cut. It would be hard to cut it flat enough to hold water anyway, but I can see it helping with drainage since the stem is usually starting to hollow out a bit by harvest time. As long as it doesn't make it too difficult to harvest and keep the number of leaves you want, I'd say, "Why not?" And broccoli leaves in soup sounds amazing! Great use of your produce!

Absolutely, thanks for the kind comment!

@@hopebradley1417 The experience of partnering with the earth and soil and your plants are both great teachers. All they require is an open mind and open heart. Good luck and don’t be too hard on yourself. We all started somewhere; we learn plenty of regular lessons; and we all have lots more we can learn, always. Thanks for the comment.

When he referred to that he did say ALASKA....

To be clear, like almost every other gardening source, when I refer to direct sunlight I am referring to unobstructed sunlight not direct solar beam radiation as opposed to diffuse radiation. If I were speaking of beam radiation and diffuse radiation and their amounts, I would use be speaking of solar irradiance (and it wouldn't likely be a gardening video) and use the terms Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI), Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DHI), and Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) and give measures of it W/m².

Thank you! Ha, yes, the challenges can seem like a lot sometimes. 🙃

You are very welcome. Yes, absolutely! Most end up much healthier (to the point where I've never had to use chemical or even organic pesticides--they can just defend themselves) but some much more than others (in order of difference: tomatoes, peppers, larger brassicas, beans, potatoes, sweet potatoes....). Because it's so much work, however, I personally, have decided to only use it for tomatoes, peppers, larger brassicas, and their companions, since it's easy enough to find more space for things like beans and make up the production. I address all of this and a little more in "Double Digging's Tips, Tricks, and Finer Points" (th-cam.com/video/F7a9_sPNYJY/w-d-xo.html th-cam.com/video/F7a9_sPNYJY/w-d-xo.html) and on my website here: greenthumbgardeningsecrets.com/double-diggings-finer-points/. Good luck!

Firstly, it’s “you’re” not “your” and it’s “means” not “mean.” If you’re going to leave judgy, exclamation-point-filled comments about someone else’s video, at least get your use of the possessive “your” and the non-possessive contraction of “you are” correct-glass houses and stones being what they are. Secondly, you’re obviously being a troll. You have no videos or posts of your own, but you chose to post ridiculous, off-topic negative comments on others’. Thirdly, for clarity, it's 100% true, and you are most certainly unclear as to what “direct sunlight” means in gardening. However, you raise an interesting point. Writers of gardening literature regularly define direct sunlight as light rays that hit plants’ foliage directly-as opposed to those that hit something that obstructs those direct rays first causing shade. They do this to clarify so aspiring gardeners do not put plants needing “full sun” in spots that are well-lit but completely shaded. Using this definition, they refer to needed hours of direct sunlight-from “full” shade (less than 2-3 hours), part sun/part shade (2-6 hours), and full sun (6+ hours). Increasingly, garden writers are describing vegetable plants as needing 8-10+ hours of direct sunlight and they’re correct, based on that definition. What you’re saying is that, astronomically speaking, direct sunlight is that which is not dispersed by clouds, haze, dust, smog, or just the smaller number of particles always present in the atmosphere when it enters at an oblique angle. Noted. However, that is not usually taken into the equation in gardening literature. Only a few sources even give the detail that hours of direct sunlight should include time from 10 am - 4 pm. I can see incorporating the astronomical definition as part of a more nuanced gardening definition helping. On the other hand, it’s hard enough to get people to not try to grow sun-loving plants in the shade. That said, if you’re not a troll, do a better job with your tone in comments. You question a video producer’s knowledge-even though it’s clearly a gardening video and the gardening definition is clear (look it up if you don’t already know; you’ll see), not an astronomy site-and use bitchy exclamation points to do so. While astronomically speaking, you’re correct, who cares? You have no videos of your own. Do you regularly waste time incorrectly picking out what you think are technical errors in other people’s videos? That’s a pedant, and when I see someone with no videos of their own who is so forthright about his criticism, I think troll. If you’re not, address it better next time, or leave it be. And if you’re going to criticize another video, get your grammar correct.

Thank you!

I know, right?! The fads have been crazy and even more nonsensical these days. A garden friend of mine sent me a popular fad-driven TH-cam clip recently, saying, "This is what's killing gardening." I welcome all-at least they're trying-but he also has a point. It's hard to see so many fail when success is so much easier and cheaper. That all said, you're quite welcome! Thanks for letting me know there are still people out there who are succeeding through observation, logic, and using long-successful methods.

Yeah, where you live is absolutely the exception to the rule, but it’s not the hours of sunlight. It’s the heat. For example, the northern part of the U.S. gets more hours of direct sunlight in the summer than you do, and no one there has to shade their crops. Instead, the weakest corn, soybeans, etc. are the ones on the edges of the field that are shaded by the trees. And don’t tell the rest of the folks north of you that or they’ll think they need to keep growing in only 4 hours of direct sun a day-and wonder why they’re failing. 😂 Plus, it’s not complete shade, right? I'm guessing you're using an Agribond-type fabric or something similar that still lets a decent percentage of direct sunlight through. Do you have to shade heat-loving crops like peppers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, etc. (being tropical or subtropical,l you'd think there'd be enough genetic heritage for someone to produce varieties that thrive in your heat), or just your cool season crops?

Great! Glad you like it! I was about to create a map like a topo map but with frost dates for the U.S. like I've seen for NC, so I was stoked to find the NOAA map! And then their interactive map is sick!!

Thanks, Mom!! ❤

I don't. I've never had the need. The square tines are strong, already come to a bit of a point, and dig in really well as is. I could maybe see the need if digging super hard clay, but we originally had that and the tines dug in just fine. Now, our soil is improving so much it just gets easier and easier. Now, a shovel on the other hand. I regularly sharpen those (but that's for work outside of the garden). Thanks for all of your comments! I appreciate you getting something out of and interacting with the video info!! 💯💚

The spade and fork looks like bulldog brand, that stuff lasts a lifetime

Water's great too.

Thanks for letting me know it helped! I'm glad to hear it!

Exactly, that's a great example!

Yeah, that's a great point. I'm working on a short with a part about that right now. Because trees keep on growing, more buildings go up, neighbors put in fences, etc., even good spots lose their sun over time.

Thank you! If you do it that way, it pays you back (and then some usually).

Thank you! I'll work on it.

Thank you, Sir Gor

Thank you, Gretchen!!

Oooo, those are two tough ones. Like most persistent weeds, you have four options (none of which are mutually exclusive): dig/remove/weed, smother, use chemicals, and improve your soil. The short answer is that I'd 1) definitely get what I can while double digging and be really gentle with the roots so I'm careful to get every piece, 2) continue killing it with multiple strategies, and 3) work most diligently at improving my soil. Whatever you do needs to be done regularly, repeatedly, and over a long period of time (in the range of three to five years) because it takes multiple times to exhaust the extensive reserves of energy stored in the very large root systems. Bindweed roots are known to run 20 feet (6 meters) deep and 25 feet or more in breadth, being known to come up in neighboring fields and pastures. Horsetail roots routinely grow 6 feet deep. Plus, both have root systems that break rather easily and WILL REGROW NEW PLANTS FROM EVEN SMALL PIECES OF ROOTS LEFT IN THE SOIL. That's too large, too deep, and too far-reaching to be realistically removed by digging alone. You can dig or weed bindweed and cut horsetail stems to the ground regularly over a long period (3-5 years) to exhaust the root system and finally kill the plant. Be aware that horsetails will resprout even more vigorously at first, but vigilant removal of top growth will kill them eventually. Likely, don't hoe or till horseweed since it will cut the underground rhizomes and create more plants. If you do, weed out the new plants before they start creating rhizomes (within a few weeks). Broken pieces of bindweed root sprout above-ground growth again in a couple of weeks, so remove it every three weeks all season. Smothering also has to be done over a long period (two years or possibly more for horsetail) and over a large area. Otherwise, the vigorous horseweed rhizomes will grow to the edge of the smothering covering and put up tops there and the parts of the bindweed plant that remain outside of the garden plot will simply recolonize the bed after the smothering material is removed. If you're fine with using chemicals (just giving options), repeated applications of glyphosate will work on bindweed and horsetail; it often takes repeated applications to get enough herbicide into the root system to kill the whole thing. Again, stay vigilant and stay the course, and you'll eventually kill the entire root system. To avoid the drift of herbicide onto other plants, dabbers are available. If you can't find them, ask and I'll share at least one source. Breaking the horsetail stems with a rake first (or walking on them) has been found to help them absorb the herbicide. Finally, both bindweed and horsetail are also good indicators of soil conditions that are quite poor for vegetable plants and field crops. Horsetail indicates low pH, infertile, and poorly drained soil. Bindweed indicates compacted soil. Many report having the best luck control horseweed by improving their soil, making it increasingly inhospitable to it. Improve the drainage and compaction (double digging helps tremendously), increase fertility (add even more cured compost) while double digging, and raise the pH by adding lime in accordance with recommendations from a soil test (cured compost from some sources can also help bring soil into a more neutral pH).

@@greenthumbgardeningsecrets75 Thanks so much!

@@twelvesmylimit You're very welcome!

de nada

Glad it helps!! ❤️

Thank you, Gretchen! Glad it helps!! And you’re absolutely welcome!

The same as other squash.

@@greenthumbgardeningsecrets75 Thank you.

@@definitelyp8652 Absolutely!

You're very welcome! Same to you!

Thank you so much!! 😊 I hope you find it helpful. 🤗

Thanks, Beth! That’s certainly nice to hear! I’m in the mountains of North Carolina now but grew up in Wisconsin. Fee free to ask whatever questions you have, and I’ll help you out with whatever I can. You’re 100% welcome.

Also, my most recent video is specifically meant to answer the exact question of what to do next. It’s what I’ve noticed to be the biggest secrets used by the best green-thumbed gardeners everywhere and gives several options/ideas for meeting the six critical needs of your garden plants th-cam.com/video/eq5Sq6WwL1Y/w-d-xo.htmlsi=uTniRj7piN9Wwi2L)

Have you noticed any drop off for tomatoes, peppers, or the larger brassicas as it gets farther from when you last double dug the beds?

I also loved the inserts as examples ❤

Awesome! You're welcome! Thank you!

Hahaha, yeah, I bet you were and the plants loved it!

I'm so glad! Thank you for that comment!

You're welcome! So nice of you! Thank you!

Thank you! It’s great that you’ll use it. Your plants will love it! You don’t have to wait at all. You can add cured compost and further fluff the soil as you mix in the compost. Does that make sense and answer both of your questions?

You are VERY welcome!

@@greenthumbgardeningsecrets75 seriously this is the only video I have come across that actually demonstrates start to end how to do this, without unnecessary chatter, just pure information. Bless you!

@@pixelated23-b9z It’s so great to read a comment like that because that’s exactly why I made the whole series on soil building - just to show several very doable but very effective methods, so people can see how easy they are and pick the one that best suits them. I’m so glad to hear it’s useful to someone!